{"id":14492,"date":"2020-05-25T17:08:19","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T17:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gocaldas.com\/rainha-dona-leonor-a-fundadora\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T19:07:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:07:28","slug":"queen-dona-leonor-the-founder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gocaldas.com\/en\/queen-dona-leonor-the-founder\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen Dona Leonor the Founder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Inspiration<\/a>><\/span>History<\/a><\/p>\n

By GoCaldas Team\u25cf<\/i>25 May 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A Bath in Warm Waters on the Way to Batalha, a Hospital for the Poor and a City with Her Name: Queen Leonor, Founder of Caldas da Rainha<\/h1>\n
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In the 15th century, Queen Leonor ordered the building of the Thermal Hospital around which the city grew. Meet the founder, the legend of the waters and the places where she is still honoured today.<\/p>\n

Copy link<\/a>Facebook<\/a>Pinterest<\/a>X<\/a>Print<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Queen Leonor, founder of Caldas da Rainha. Photo: GoCaldas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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Queen Leonor, founder of the city of Caldas da Rainha<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related: Thermal Hospital at Caldas da Rainha<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201cPerfect\u201d Queen Leonor<\/h2>\n

The most important figure in our city\u2019s history is none other than Queen Leonor (1458\u20131525), our founder. She built the Thermal Hospital<\/a>, around which today\u2019s city grew, and the city\u2019s name, \u201cthe Queen\u2019s hot springs\u201d, refers to her.<\/p>\n

Leonor was born in Beja in 1458. Before becoming queen through her marriage in 1481 to the future King Jo\u00e3o II, who was her first cousin (yes, you read that right!), she was already a princess of the House of Avis. She was the great-granddaughter of King Jo\u00e3o I (1385\u20131433), the Master of Avis, and the granddaughter of the first Duke of Bragan\u00e7a, Afonso, who was married to Beatriz Pereira, daughter of Nuno \u00c1lvares Pereira, Constable of the Kingdom and King Jo\u00e3o I\u2019s right-hand man at the Battle of Aljubarrota. We find it confusing too, but royal marriages between relatives were the norm!<\/p>\n

Queen Leonor, the founder<\/h2>\n
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Queen Dona Leonor painting at Jos\u00e9 Malhoa Museum at Cakdas da Rainha. Photo: GoCaldas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To add to the confusion, Leonor was only the third, and last, queen consort born in Portugal. She was also the first member of the Portuguese royal family to belong to the House of Bragan\u00e7a, which became Portugal\u2019s ruling house after the Restoration of Independence in 1640.<\/p>\n

And there is more. When Jo\u00e3o II died in 1495, he and Leonor left no heir to the throne: their only son had died young in a riding accident. The crown passed to Leonor\u2019s brother, who was also Jo\u00e3o II\u2019s cousin: King Manuel I (1495\u20131521), who would also play an important role in the history of our town.<\/p>\n

Now that we have introduced our founder and untangled her family tree, let us see how Leonor\u2019s link with Caldas da Rainha came about.<\/p>\n

Legend has it that on her way from \u00d3bidos to the Monastery of Batalha, for the funeral ceremonies of King Afonso V (father of Jo\u00e3o II, and Leonor\u2019s uncle and father-in-law), the queen came across a group of people bathing in pools by the road. When she asked what they were doing, she was told that the waters eased their ailments and made them feel better.<\/p>\n

The story of a Thermal Hospital said to be the first in the world<\/h2>\n
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Queen Dona Leonor Monument. Photo: GoCaldas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From there it was a short step to building what many consider the first thermal hospital in the world. Leonor paid for it herself, and work began in 1484.<\/p>\n

The generous queen also wrote its rules, known as the Queen\u2019s Commitment and published in 1512, which stated that the hospital would treat the poor and needy of the kingdom free of charge.<\/p>\n

That same year, Leonor\u2019s brother, King Manuel I, granted Caldas da Rainha its town charter. This confirmed the town\u2019s rapid growth and importance and, above all, made it independent from \u00d3bidos, to which it had belonged until then under the name Caldas de \u00d3bidos.<\/p>\n

We owe our very existence to Leonor\u2019s work and generosity. Besides the city\u2019s name, many other tributes to the queen have been made over the centuries, and some of them can still be seen today.<\/p>\n

As the Thermal Hospital was the reason the city was founded and is Leonor\u2019s main legacy, it officially bears her name, as does the square where it stands.<\/p>\n

Then there is the \u201cRainha\u201d, the main tribute to Leonor: a statue of the founder by Francisco Franco, unveiled in 1935. Since then it has overshadowed the official name of the square, which honours the Count of Fontalva, an important local figure of the early 20th century.<\/p>\n

Largo Conde de Fontalva<\/h2>\n
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Largo do Conde de Fontalva \u2013 Queen Leonor. Photo: GoCaldas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is in this square, by the statue of Leonor, that the official ceremonies of 15 May, the city\u2019s day and municipal holiday, take place, in thanks for all the care she gave to this land and its waters.<\/p>\n

The plaster model for the statue is part of the sculpture collection of the Jos\u00e9 Malhoa Museum<\/a>, a must-see both for the quality of its art and for its setting in the heart of Parque D. Carlos I.<\/p>\n

The museum\u2019s painting collection also includes a portrait of Queen Leonor by Jos\u00e9 Malhoa<\/a> himself, who was born in Caldas da Rainha. He painted it in 1926 at the invitation of Ant\u00f3nio Montez, with a triple purpose: to honour Leonor, to bring Malhoa closer to his home town and to decorate the main hall of the local Industrial and Commercial Association.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt about Leonor\u2019s importance to our town, and Caldas da Rainha has been showing its gratitude for her generosity for more than 500 years.<\/p>\n

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Recommended guided tour<\/p>\n

Best of Caldas da Rainha with a local guide<\/a><\/p>\n

Discover the historic centre, the Thermal Hospital and Pra\u00e7a da Fruta with a local guide.<\/p>\n

See the tour \u00b7 from \u20ac33<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n

Who founded Caldas da Rainha?<\/h3>\n

Queen Leonor (1458\u20131525), wife of King Jo\u00e3o II, who had the Thermal Hospital built from 1484. The city grew around it.<\/p>\n

When is the Caldas da Rainha municipal holiday?<\/h3>\n

On 15 May, the city\u2019s day. Official ceremonies take place by the statue of Queen Leonor in Largo Conde de Fontalva.<\/p>\n

Where is the statue of Queen Leonor?<\/h3>\n

In Largo Conde de Fontalva, which locals simply call \u201cRainha\u201d. The statue is by Francisco Franco and was unveiled in 1935.<\/p>\n

More history of Caldas da Rainha<\/h2>\n